


Because I Knew You (I Have Been Changed For Good)

by Pearl09



Category: The Witcher (TV), Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Mutual Pining, THERE WAS ONLY ONE BED
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:47:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 20,077
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28287945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pearl09/pseuds/Pearl09
Summary: Jaskier's parents are afraid he's grown too attached to their help and money. To properly help him gain footing in the real world, they kick him out and send him to the city after college. Goodbye playing for boardwalk passerby, hello city folk! Since his parents are still paying for his apartment, he didn't change his lifestyle much. They had one stipulation however - he had to fill the empty bedroom in his apartment and find a roommate. Who knew an extremely well-built man with white hair, a small excitable young girl, and a rather large dog could change his life so much?
Relationships: Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion
Comments: 12
Kudos: 103
Collections: The Witcher Secret Santa 2020





	Because I Knew You (I Have Been Changed For Good)

**Author's Note:**

> This is a part of the witcher secret santa, written as a gift for yespolkadotkitty! Happy holidays! Title comes from For Good in the Wicked musical. Thanks for reading!

Jaskier stood at the edge of the boardwalk, leaning over the railing. The sun was on its way to setting, the sky just starting to change from its usual bright blue to a dazzling array of pinks and blues and oranges. He sighed as he took in the view, watching the white foam of the waves cresting and then crashing against the shore, and the shrill screams of children enjoying themselves filled the air. He was going to miss this.

See, tonight was his last night here in this tourist trap of a beach town. His parents were effectively kicking him out, though they had the best intentions. To a degree, he agreed with them. Having freshly graduated college with a degree in music and performance, he wasn’t going to get anywhere if all he did for a job was play on the boardwalk and hope some people would be kind enough to give him a few dollars as they passed. Kicking him out and sending him to the city was the best thing they could do for him to get a real job.

He grew up here though, in this little town, his parents owning one of the largest beachfront properties. He would never forget the fun of taking one of their boats out into the ocean, the wind in his hair as they sped across the water, or just playing around in the sand and ocean by the house. The city would be a big change, and sights like this were something he would always miss.

With another sigh, Jaskier turned around again and pulled his guitar case from his back. He set it on the bench next to him and unzipped it carefully, not wanting the stray pages of music and/or lyrics he had written to blow about the place. With the guitar in hand he settled with his back against the railing, putting his foot against the bottom rail to hold the bottom of his guitar.. He wasn’t about to let this last night go to waste.

After a quick tune he began to play, strumming the chords lightly as he hummed along. Eventually, he started singing himself as well. Well known songs, forgotten songs, even some of his own songs, he rotated in and out of all of them. He enjoyed seeing the smiles of some who passed him by, reveling in the joy he could bring to them, no matter how small. Of course, the well known songs got him more notice and were what drew in the money people gave him, but he still enjoyed every moment of it.

Once the sun disappeared behind the horizon, the light started fading quickly. With the light, many people would leave as well, returning to their homes or hotel rooms to rest for the night. Jaskier knew he had some last minute packing to do as well as an early departure time in the morning, so he would be among those leaving, but he wanted to make the most of his last moments. He could only fit in a few more songs, so he would sing them better than anything he had done so far.

As he sang, he heard the joyous scream of a child followed by the barking of a dog, finding them running up to him with a frazzled adult following behind them.

“Look, dad, he’s playing music!”

Jaskier flashed the young blonde girl a sweet smile as she stood and watched in awe, her bright green eyes dazzling in the light of the lamp behind him. The dog following behind her was a deep brown borzoi attached to a long lead in the hands of a tall, muscular gray haired man. For him, Jaskier had a wink. They watched him play through the rest of that song and into the next one before starting to move on. The man used his free hand to pull his wallet out and take a few bills out of it before handing them to his daughter and gesturing to the case on the ground. She approached him shyly before crouching and tucking the bills inside so they wouldn’t blow away.

“Let’s go, Ciri,” her dad said in a low, rumbling voice, and Jaskier’s heart skipped a beat. He had never heard a voice that deep before, and he found it extremely hot. He didn’t say anything though, as just meeting a stranger on the beach wouldn’t lead to anything. Especially when the man was married if he had a kid. Still, he stared at them as they walked away, the dog leading the way, appreciating the view. He thought that was a nice way to end the night and packed up after he finished the song, darkness filling the air and rendering the ocean invisible.

Jaskier woke with the sun the next day, knowing it was a long drive to the city and he needed to be there for the movers. He hurried around the house, getting ready while packing the last bag at the same time. Phone charger, hair products, toothbrush… all the essentials he had still needed. Then there were the hurried goodbyes as he tried to get out the door. His mom insisted on a proper goodbye, as if she wasn’t the one kicking him out. 

Finally, he was out on the road, the car packed as full as it could. He turned the dial up on the radio, a pop station playing as he sang along to it. Sure, he would miss the beach – the alluring ocean waves rising and falling with the tides, the picturesque sunrises and sunsets, the interesting people he could meet and watch on the boardwalk. Still, there were more opportunities in the city. Different opportunities. More jobs, even more interesting people, and the city skyline dazzled many. They even both had similar annoying birds.

Since he left so early, he didn’t really run into any traffic along the way until he reached the city. There, he had to turn his radio down to hear the GPS, waiting in long lines at traffic lights before he could make the turns he needed. He lost signal of the previous radio station about halfway through the drive anyway, and had had to find a new one. It was similar, but it wasn’t the same. So he didn’t mind tuning it out for a while.

He was lucky the apartment building had mailed him the pass to get into the parking garage. As he pulled up to the building, there was no free parking spot along the side of the road, and the garage wouldn’t let him in without it. Hopefully the movers could get in as well… he would have to ask someone about that.

The front door was locked – they hadn’t shipped him his keys, but those were a lot harder and more expensive to replace if they were lost. He used the buzzer next to the door so the desk attendant would let him in, adjusting his backpack on his shoulder as he leaned over to speak into the microphone.

After that, the process to move in went a lot smoother than he expected. What had been a blank slate after the attendant greeted him, gave him his keys, and showed him the new apartment, was now full of his things. Well, a lot of it was still in boxes, but the furniture was up now, because he certainly needed help with that. His guitar was already set up on its stand in the corner of his bedroom, and a couple of decorations occupied the few walls still separating the otherwise open area. He considered that a success enough for one day and collapsed onto the cream leather couch, pulling his phone from his pocket as he dangled over the side to Google food delivery near him. He would have to go shopping another day to fill up the kitchen.

Once he had ordered himself a pizza, determined to find the best place around him within the first couple of months, he sighed and opened a new tab. There was a rule, his parents had made that clear. He was adamant about getting an apartment in this building, even though there were no single bedrooms left. His parents, who were willing to pay his rent, insisted he must find a roommate within the first month or two to fill in the empty bedroom, or they wouldn’t pay anything. Not wanting to lose the opportunity to get something for free, he started writing an ad. 

_I am looking for a roommate in my new apartment, preferably someone close to my age. I am a male in my early twenties. The apartment is a two bedroom, one bath, and has a full kitchen. The cost of rent is free, as my parents are paying for it; all you would need to pay is half of the utilities bill. Pets are allowed, and the building also features a few other amenities, like a private gym. Bus and train stops are only a few blocks away if you need them. You must be okay with music,often loud, and possible at odd hours of the night. You’re welcome to any of my things, especially the food, as long as you ask first. For further information, or if you are interested in the room, contact the email below._

He hoped that was enough, typing and deleting sentences over and over until finally finishing it as he ate his pizza. The pizza wasn’t bad, he thought, but he had a feeling someone could make one better. As far as the ad went, he was never good at writing something straightforward like this. There wasn’t really anything else he deemed important enough to mention either. And, if no one responded within a week or two, he could refine it and make it better. Having something out there was better than nothing at all. He sent it out into the wilds of the internet after attaching some pictures of the apartment when it was still empty, wiped the pizza grease from his hands with a napkin, and set to finding what box his sheets were packed into so he could make the bed before he fell asleep.

The next day was full of new surprises. After spending time trying to figure out how the shower worked and finally getting ready in the morning, he knew his first priority was food. While he was probably going to order takeout again that night after another day of unpacking, it was best to get it now so that the kitchen was stocked for when he finally did decide to cook. 

He drove his car out of the garage and had his second dose of the lovely city traffic again. He made a mental note to start checking his route on the GPS the night before the day before he had to go anywhere important so he could gage the time he needed to get there properly. Back in the beach town, there was hardly a time when traffic was really an issue, even in tourist season. Usually, he could reach anywhere he needed to within five to ten minutes. And the last thing he wanted was to be late to anything.

The nearest grocery store was stocked with all of his favorites. Even though he was alone and still the only one living in the apartment, he filled the cart to near overflowing, producing a hefty total price. But, he deemed it all necessary. Steaks were always good to make and eat, so he pulled a few of those to put in the freezer for a later date. There were some other meats too, which made for a lot of the price. Then there were pastas, and spices, and herbs, and fresh fruits and vegetables, and breakfast foods, and of course, everyone needed a snack every once in a while. Chips, cookies, popcorn, ice cream – the kitchen was entirely empty, after all. The spices and herbs were definitely needed, as he would use them over and over again.

Unfortunately, he didn’t have help to bring his groceries back inside. He grabbed the items that needed to be in the freezer and refrigerator first and took the elevator up to his apartment. There were several more trips after that, up and down, up and down. It was a good thing he wasn’t scared of elevators, and that the elevator seemed reliable as well. It would have been even worse if he had to climb the stairs every time.

Then came the part no one really likes. Unpacking all those groceries you just packed into bags and carried into your house. He had to find a new place for them all now too, which made it even worse as he was indecisive about which drawers and cabinets to use. At least the refrigerated and frozen foods were straight forward. He decided, as he was already in the kitchen, he would unpack the boxes in the room – glasses, plates, silverware, pots, pans, they all needed a place, and they all needed to fit in these cabinets and drawers. It was like a game of Tetris at some points, trying to get the glasses to fit in right, or playing with a nesting doll as he stacked bowls into larger bowls into larger bowls to fit them all.

Sometime during all of this mess, his phone chirped, the sound of a popular pop culture reference ringing out. It was his text notification, and he was tempted to ignore it. 

_Hey sweetie, hope you’re enjoying your second day in the city! How goes the job search? Dad and I miss you!_

The job search. Yes. The search he needed to do in order to find a job. An important job, that would make him money. One he needed to search for. No, he hadn’t done that yet. Not even given it a thought. He didn’t really want to admit that, though, not to his mom.

_Sent out a roommate ad last night. Unpacking the kitchen, then have plans to look!_

No he didn’t. Frankly, he wasn’t even sure where to begin. Searching for a job isn’t exactly something taught in school. But he would figure it out eventually. Right now, he had saved enough from his parents to last a while, so he was more concerned in turning the apartment into his and getting rid of the boxes. He was more than willing to lie to them to appease them and get what he wanted, especially from this distance, so he wasn’t worried about it.

Later that night, he received an email. At first he ignored the little icon, determined to eat his Chinese food and play subway surfers. It wasn’t an uncommon sight – there were so many online music magazines and programs that he was subscribed to that he usually had a few a day. Sometimes, he didn’t even open them right away, letting them sit in his inbox until he decided it was time to clear it out. 

He permitted it a glance at least once he was done, pulling the notification down to scan the beginning. It was a good thing he did, as the email wasn’t from anything he would usually expect. This was an email answering his roommate ad.

_Hello,_

_I really hope this isn’t a scam, but at this point, I’m desperate. I’m being kicked out of my apartment due to the building being condemned and need a new place ASAP. I’m also a male in my twenties. If you are being serious about no rent needed, then I can definitely pay my half of the bill. I have a steady job that doesn’t have a chance to change any time soon. I have a dog – a borzoi – who is well-trained. She won’t get into anything she’s not supposed to, and listens well. I can take care of her walking schedule though, you wouldn’t have to worry about that. Would you happen to have room for an extra bed or a couch? I have a kid too – I share custody with her mother and she stays with me on the weekends. It’s hard to find anything big enough for us, so I’m hoping I sound like a good enough candidate for you._

_Thanks,_

_Geralt_

Geralt. What an interesting sounding name. Jaskier hadn’t even thought about the ad sounding like a scam. Were the pictures not proof enough? Wouldn’t it be worth contacting anyway to see the response, and then see what came out of that? Whatever, there was more to worry about. Geralt wasn’t kidding, he really did sound desperate. His old apartment building condemned? It really sounded like this man needed an upgrade. While he had no plans to make this some gross, trashy bachelor's pad, the kid came at a surprise. If she was only here on weekends, though… well, he supposed it wouldn’t be too bad. And as Geralt was the only applicant so far, he couldn’t really be picky. He hit the reply button and quickly typed out a response.

_Hello Geralt,_

_It sounds like you are in quite a predicament. I notice you didn’t comment on the possible noise, and think it’s important to elaborate. I am a musician – currently, I have no status, but I am writing my own songs and hope to get an agent sometime to start my career. As I wait for that to happen, I plan to try for other possible careers – broadway or similar productions is one idea I have, which requires practice for auditions and for the actual show itself. I would like to offer you this position and let you take the empty room, but I can’t say yes until I’m sure this is alright with you. Since it is such a big piece of my life, it is a deal breaker._

_Looking forward to your response,_

_Jaskier_

He cleaned up dinner and started on hanging up decorations. If he could get that done tonight, then all he would really have left was to sort out his clothes. He purposefully left that for last, as he was sure trying to unpack and fit all of that was going to take up an entire day. He received another notification chime not an hour later, and this time, he opened the email as soon as his hands were free to pick up his phone.

_Jaskier,_

_Yes, the music is okay. The guys usually blast all kinds of music at all hours of the day at work, so I’m used to it. My daughter likes music too, so I’m sure she wouldn’t mind. All I would ask is that you refrain from being loud too late on Sundays since she has to get up for school the next morning. Here’s my phone number, I think it would be easier to contact each other through there. Maybe we can meet up sometime just to be sure we aren’t scamming each other before we work out the details._

_Geralt_

This new email surprised him. The tone of the emails gave Jaskier the impression that Geralt was a traditionally formal man, maybe working some bland white collar job. However, he wasn’t sure what kind of white collar job would mean that his coworkers were ‘the guys’ and that they blasted music all the time. But, if he really was okay with music, Jaskier was ready to set it up with the landlord and write Geralt on the lease. It made sense that he was still being careful, however, and Jaskier wouldn’t mind meeting him before agreeing to live with him. Especially because he would be stuck with him for a while, as the lease wouldn’t let him leave for at least half a year. 

He looked back at the email and copied the number Geralt provided to add to his contacts. It was getting late, however, so he decided he would wait until the morning to talk to him again. Then he could figure out his schedule better to plan a meeting instead of creating it on a whim and planning everything else around it. At least now he could tell his mother something good the next time she decided to text him.

The correspondence between Jaskier and Geralt was bland. Not only did it take Geralt at least a few minutes to answer each text, but he sounded like an old person stuck in a younger body when he did. Jaskier understood that sometimes, life gets in the way, everyone gets busy, but he was certain that at least a few times it really did just take him that long to write out the text. The only thing that kept him from believing Geralt had a flip phone was the sheer length of some of them. It was almost like reading full-on emails. 

They settled on one night during the week near evening to meet. Geralt needed to move out soon, so they didn’t want to push it off until the weekend, though now Jaskier would have to wait to meet his daughter if Geralt signed on as his new roommate. They found a park around the halfway point between their two apartments so they would have a similar travel time. Jaskier told him an easy way to find the right person too – he would bring his guitar along and play it on one of the park benches. 

Jaskier finally finished unpacking, tossing the last of the cardboard boxes into the garbage. He could finally do other things he wanted to do now, like write new songs. He had set up a desk under his window in the bedroom just for the view, and hoped it would be inspiring. With the minor resentment he still felt of being kicked out of the house, he kind of liked having a place of his own. It gave him a feeling of accomplishment to have it all set up now, and hoped that some of the silence it seemed to hold onto would be filled with his music and a roommate. The one thing he didn’t like was the cars. It was something he would have to grow used to. Instead of gentle waves lulling him to sleep, a car alarm woke him while it was still dark out and continued to go off for at least five minutes. 

Of course, the job hunt had started. The key term was started. Was it any _good_? Was it actually _going_ anywhere? No. Unsurprisingly, it was difficult for a person with his qualifications to find anything. What made it more difficult too was that Jaskier didn’t want an ordinary job. Sure, he could apply for the job playing piano at a restaurant. Sure he could see if there was a radio station hiring, or a coffee place that would let him do solo gigs. There were multiple ads like this that he found already, actually. But Jaskier was holding out for the big one. Along with the payment for the apartment, his parents were still giving him an allowance. In their words, it was so he could acclimate himself to his new life, as they understood it could be a while before anyone would hire him. With that money a guarantee, he was waiting for a chance to do literally anything else. A chance to audition on Broadway, a music label or agent looking for fresh talent, he’d even try to audition for movies if he had the opportunity. Anything he could do within the music and theatre arts that would get him noticed among the general population. Then he could use that name to sell his songs, if he wasn’t already on a music label.

When it came time to meet Geralt, he packed his guitar and threw a notebook into his bag before setting off to his car. He greeted the desk attendant by name, who in return greeted him the same, and he thought he was off to a decent start. At least one person in this city knew his name. Only a few million more to go.

One thing that ran through his mind as he drove over there and got stuck in traffic was, what if he was late? Their entire meeting hinged on the fact that Jaskier would be playing guitar. The rational side of his brain told him that if Geralt couldn’t find him, he would call or text. It wasn’t that difficult. Geralt also said he would be walking his dog, so he could narrow it down some if he had to. The irrational part of his brain worried about not finding a roommate to fill in the empty room and his parents cutting him off. Then he would have to take one of those jobs he didn’t want, or even multiple jobs, to cover the cost of living. Those were certainly dark thoughts, and as he shook his head to clear it, he hoped to never hear them again.

In the park, Jaskier walked along the paths for a few minutes before finding a bench under a willow tree planted close to the sidewalk, the leaves beginning to change color as Fall finally arrived. Before he knew it, it would be winter, and he’d have to find out what exactly a large city like this one does when there’s snow piled up in the streets. 

He set his case up next to him in case any passerby wanted to donate a few spare dollars they had on them, but he wasn’t expecting any. That wasn’t the point of this excursion anyway. The point was to meet Geralt. And as he sat there, strumming the strings lightly as he tuned it, he found he was starting to grow giddy with anticipation. Finally, he strummed the first full chord, and he let himself fall into the music and his surroundings and hoping maybe some inspiration for a new song would come out of the trip.

After a while he looked up, something almost instinctual telling him to. He was in the middle of singing a popular song, so he wasn’t surprised to find a few people had stopped to listen, but what did surprise him was the white-haired man with a brown-haired dog. They looked too similar to the man and dog he saw on the boardwalk for it to be a coincidence. Somehow, they ran into each other again.

Jaskier found it funny, especially because he stopped to listen, so once the song ended, he set his guitar down and resolved to introduce himself to the man. The other few left as soon as the last chords were played, but for some reason, he had stayed. As Jaskier approached him, it almost made him nervous. Did he do something wrong? Was there something in his hair? His teeth? Did his shirt wrinkle in a strange way? It didn’t help that the stranger regarded him with the same, resting face as before that seemed cold and calculating. There was no obvious emotion to it. 

“Jaskier?” the man asked as Jaskier held his hand out to shake, stopping him in his tracks. 

“ _Geralt_?” The man didn’t give a yes or no answer, or really any kind of answer, even a noiseless expression, but Jaskier knew it was him. The pieces all fit into place – a daughter that was only with him on weekends, a dog, stopping to listen to him as he played in the park… he wouldn’t be surprised if Geralt was the reason a few others had stopped, as they were curious to find out what he was listening to. “Why, what a strange coincidence! I mean, only the day before I move here, we meet on the boardwalk. And now, of all the people who might have seen my ad for a roommate, you were the only one to answer! It must be some kind of fate or destiny that led us together the first time, and now it doesn’t want us to part.”

“I don’t believe in that sort of thing.”

“That’s alright, everyone is entitled to their own beliefs and opinions. Anyway, I am so glad to see you here! I really need a roommate, you really need a room, and I think we can both say now that we aren’t trying to catfish each other or anything.” He lowered his hand awkwardly as Geralt never took it. “I know the point of this meeting was for us to get to know each other and of course make sure we were real, but I am ready to let you sign onto the lease right now. If only I had brought the papers with me! Say, while you’re here, and the guitar is still out, would you like to hear a song of mine?”

“No, that’s alright,” he said, gently tugging at the leash in his hand as his dog tried to chase a butterfly. “I don’t – I don’t need you to play just for me.”

“Why, that doesn’t matter! I play for just myself sometimes. Playing gets you practice, and practice makes perfect! Is it the fact that it’s an original song? Because if so, that hurts, man. You don’t even know me. Which reminds me!” He took an over exaggerated bow and said, “My name is Julian Alfred Pankratz, but everyone calls me Jaskier, so I would prefer to keep it that way.”

“I’m – Geralt. As you already know.”

“And who is this little – er, woman?” He crouched down and started scratching at the dog’s ears after she was sniffing around his feet. 

“This is Roach. She’s a borzoi.”

“Roach?” Jaskier continued scratching, but his face twisted into something leaning closely toward disgust. “I hope you weren’t the one to name your daughter, then. Anyway, about the music, if it really _is_ the original part of it, I am open to criticism! A good musician can’t get anywhere without listening to what people have to say about their work. And who knows, maybe to make it extra fun, I’ll even write a song about you!”

Geralt remained as unimpressed as ever, seemingly not reacting to anything Jaskier said. “You know that’s a strange thing to say to a man you just met, right?”

He scratched the back of his neck and chuckled awkwardly. “Sorry, I’m not that good at meeting new people. I tend to treat them like I have known them for a while, and very few people see it the same way. I’m just – a little eager to fill the apartment, I guess. I didn’t even think about if you would still want to take it after meeting me.”

“You’re very… outgoing. I can’t imagine you’ve made many friends.”

“And you’re very blunt,” he said, his comment barely even making a mark on his subconscious. He was right, so there was no need to let it hurt. “I can’t imagine you have either.”

“Hmm.”

Geralt went quiet as he regarded Jaskier for at least a minute, although it felt entirely too long to Jaskier. His mind started wandering to that night at the beach when they met, and how he had felt attracted to the random stranger. He was certain everyone had those moments every now and again, so it wasn’t unusual. Of course it would be a total mess if he tried to admit that out loud or even pursue these feelings, so he kept them to himself, but they still sat in the corner, trying to reach out into the rest of his mind. The longer the seconds seemed to grow, the more Jaskier found himself wanting to live with that deep voice, the perfect, muscular body, the strange white hair and the dark, almost foreboding eyes. The man was like a mystery, keeping his emotions hidden like that, and he was certain he could make a few songs out of that.

“Alright,” Geralt finally said, switching the hands that held Roach’s leash as she ran in the opposite direction, letting Jaskier stand again. “I’ll sign on. I think you’ll be good for Ciri. She could use someone to help her boost her self confidence.”

Jaskier beamed. “Wonderful! And of course, I will help her in any way I can. I’m great with kids; volunteered a lot in the after-school program near my college. How old is she?”

“Seven,” he said, and for the first time in their entire conversation, Jaskier saw a smile light up his face. “Though sometimes you’d think she’s older. She’s got a lot of spunk. I expect she’ll go far in the future.”

“Well I can’t wait to meet her. Officially. I’ll talk with the landlord and get the paperwork you need, and hopefully, you’ll be in before you get kicked out!”

For the next few days, Jaskier was giddy. Not only was he able to tell his parents that he now had a roommate, so they didn’t have to cut him off, but his roommate was _hot_. As the old saying goes, don’t purchase the goods, but you can appreciate them, blah blah blah. He definitely didn’t have enough details about how he and Ciri’s mom split, or how long ago it was, so he had no intentions of pursuing anything there. But he would be a fabulous addition to the apartment. He continued the job search and even managed to schedule a few auditions, which was great progress.

The day finally came that it was time for Geralt to move in, and, well, it wasn’t what Jaskier had expected.

He moved in during the middle of the week, having the day off of work to do so. That meant there were only two of them to move his things. It wasn’t that bad, though, because for some reason, he didn’t have many boxes. He pulled into the parking garage in an old pick-up truck with a fresh coat of paint. Jaskier’s first thought was that he hoped he wasn’t conned into paying more for the truck because it had new paint, but he held his tongue. As soon as Geralt opened the door, Roach jumped out and started running around, barking excitedly. She wasn’t on a leash, but as soon as Geralt called her, she listened.

After they moved all of the boxes into the apartment, Jasker found out that Geralt _really_ didn’t have a lot. He asked to help, hoping to make some small talk and start to fill the apartment with sound, but all Geralt did was nod and point to a small pile of boxes. Inside them, Jaskier found all of Roach’s things. A bed, a food bowl, a water bowl, the rest of the food he had for her, a few leashes, and a ton of toys. It was clear to Jaskier that she was spoiled. He hummed to himself to fill the silence as he watched Geralt unpack at the same time, only taking what looked to be maybe a week’s worth of clothing out of the boxes, if not a little more. Jaskier barely had room in his closet for everything he had brought, he couldn’t imagine someone with that little amount of clothing.

“Ciri took all her things to her mother’s,” Geralt muttered as he hung empty hangers in the closet space, “But she’ll probably have a bit to move back in this weekend. She usually has clothes in both houses so she doesn’t have to pack for the weekend.”

That would somewhat explain why he had so much space left over. A little girl would certainly have a formidable closet, especially if she was as spoiled as the dog. “There’s closet space out in the common room too if she would like to use that for anything.”

“Who knows what kind of games she might bring.”

Jaskier could do games. He probably wouldn’t know a lot of the games a seven year old might have and like to play, but he could learn. He could do coloring and music too. Those were his specialties. “I’m always open to new things.”

The rest of the say was terse. Geralt seemed to mostly keep to himself, and even though Jaskier left his door wide open as he started practicing the vocals for his audition, he didn’t receive a single compliment. In fact, he barely saw Geralt at all, though he assumed he was still setting up his room. What he would do in his free time was a mystery yet to be revealed, but Jaskier wasn’t sure he really had anything to do. Well, besides play with Roach, as he heard the unmistakable high pitched squeak of a dog toy going off over and over. It went on for so long that Jaskier lost focus, and, gritting his teeth, he had to put earbuds in.

The soft knock on his doorframe caught him off-guard and he looked to see Geralt standing there. After pausing his music and pulling out an ear-bud, Geralt said, “I was going to make dinner, but… why is everything so expensive?”

“Er, what do you mean?”

Instead of elaborating, Geralt gestured with his head toward the kitchen. Curious, Jaskier took the other earbud out and followed. Once they got there, Geralt opened the freezer and then the fridge, as if something was wrong with their contents.

“... I don’t see your point.”

He sighed. “Most people don’t stock up on fillet mignon or salmon.”

“Most people don’t have a refined taste then. If you’re worried about the cost, don’t worry, I’ve got you covered. You don’t have to pay me back for all the food I bought or anything.”

Geralt ran a hand down his face. “Nevermind.”

“Alright. Would you like some help with dinner? If we want to cook some of the salmon, they go well with asparagus or sweet potatoes. I bought some of each, so it’s still pretty fresh. Hmm, I should try going to a liquor store soon. A bright glass of Chardonnay or Riesling would pair nicely with it, depending on how we cook it.”

The next morning, Jaskier was quietly humming to himself as he stood in the bathroom, combing his hair from his face as he styled it. He nearly stabbed his eye with it after a loud knock echoed out, startling him. 

“Will you hurry it up in there?” Geralt grumbled, his tone still sleepy as he probably only recently woke.

“You can’t rush perfection, Geralt,” Jaskier half said half sang, brushing back a lock that had fallen free back onto his forehead. 

“I have to get ready for work.”

Well, that was true. Everyone has to use the bathroom at some point in the morning, and if the state of Geralt’s hair said anything, he needed to shower before he left. Still, Jaskier had made it to the bathroom first, and if he left now, his hair could be permanently disfigured for the rest of the day. “Give me five more minutes.”

There was a loud groan from the other side of the door, but Geralt didn’t say anything else.

After Jaskier had cleared the bathroom, he didn’t hear much else from Geralt. He got ready in record time, something Jaskier could never do, and then took Roach out for her morning walk. He came back in after, dropped her off, picked up his car keys, and then left again. Jaskier didn’t mind, though. He had heard good things about the park across the street and had decided to try out his musical talents for the crowds that regulated it during the week – he was sure to be a hit around lunch time when everyone was leaving their office buildings for a break. 

It was the same old routine – setting up his guitar case for people to donate and then rotating between popular songs and his original songs. It might not seem like much, but to him, it was enjoyable, and he liked to call it his temporary job before he could find the big one. Besides, like he told Geralt, his parents were still giving him money, so he had nothing to worry about. They were excited to hear he had found a roommate already and that he had moved in, believing he was finally becoming a proper adult. If only they truly knew the situation. Even though they had met beforehand, even though they had given each other options and Geralt could have tried to take another apartment if he wanted to, they clashed a lot. He was hesitant to admit it, especially since they had only been roommates for a few days now, but it seemed they had two very different lifestyles. 

He was excited to meet Ciri this weekend though, and hoped maybe that would settle some of the animosity between them.

The doorbell rang Friday afternoon while Jaskier was listening to an audition tape. Because he had to pause it and remove his headphones, Geralt answered the door first, an excited and yapping Roach at his heels. As soon as the door opened, a happy, high-pitched squeal rang out through the room, signaling Ciri’s arrival. It was quickly followed by a grunt from Geralt.

“Oh, you’re getting so big,” Geralt said, and Jaskier walked out of his room to find Ciri in Geralt’s arms. Outside in the hallway stood a woman with dark curly hair and piercing eyes holding a stack of boxes.

“Here’s everything she’ll need for the weekend,” she said cooly, dropping them just inside the door. She made eye contact with Jaskier as she stood back up and he gulped. She looked like a person he didn’t want to mess with. “I included a few other things in there as well.”

“Thanks, Yen,” Geralt said as he sat Ciri back down, who immediately captured Roach’s attention with hugs and pets.

“Don’t mention it.” She looked around at what she could see. “Nice place you’ve got. Much better than that other shithole.”

“Yeah, well, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity of an almost free house.”

“And I’m sure your company is delightful,” she said, looking back to Jaskier when she said it. “Anyway, I’m off to England for the weekend. I have an important meeting. Should you need me, try not to call past midnight.”

“Have fun,” he said as she walked away, closing the door again.

Geralt turned to Ciri after Yennefer left, crouching down and pointing to Jaskier. “That’s my roommate, Jaskier. He lives here with us.”

She looked up at him and her eyes grew wide. Her princess backpack bounced against her back as she ran across the room to him, saying, “You’re the music man! From the beach!”

Jaskier lit up when she recognized him, crouching down to her height in a similar manner as Geralt had. “That’s right! I was there on the beach, playing my guitar!”

“Can you play something for me now?” she said, clapping excitedly.

“Well–”

“No, he can’t,” Geralt said, interrupting.

She pouted, her bottom lip protruding past her top. “Please?”

“I need Jaskier to help me make dinner for the three of us,” he said, looking at Jaskier as he spoke about him.

“Right,” he said as he stood, “But that doesn’t mean I can’t sing _as_ I cook!”

Ciri sat at the kitchen island as the two started preparing their food, clapping excitedly at the end of every song and saying, “Again, again!” For as much as the pair seemed to clash, they were pretty good at working in harmony over their meal. While Geralt seemed unimpressed as Jaskier performed for them right in their kitchen, and acapella at that, he begrudgingly complimented him whenever Ciri dragged him into the applause. 

After dinner, just when Jaskier was contemplating going back to his computer, Ciri got up from the table and nearly yelled, “Disney!” as she charged towards the couch.

When Jaskier raised an eyebrow at Geralt, watching him pick up her plate to clean it, he shrugged and said, “It’s kind of a tradition. She likes to watch a Disney movie on Friday nights after dinner. You don’t have to join if you don’t want to.”

“I feel she’d rope me into it somehow if I did say no,” he chuckled, rinsing off his own plate and setting it in the dishwasher. “It seems like something she’s good at.”

A small smile appeared on Geralt’s face again as he turned away to finish cleaning. Seeing that Geralt had it under control, Jaskier turned toward Ciri, walking over to the couch and plopping down next to her. She giggled as he did, passing him the remote she had found.

“Alright, little one,” he said, turning the T.V. on. “What do you want to watch?”

“Belle!”

“A marvelous choice.” He had the movie pulled up and ready to go by the time Geralt joined them on the other end of the couch, sandwiching Ciri between them. She cuddled up into his side as Jaskier hit play, and together, the three of them watched the movie the entire way through. Ciri would interrupt occasionally, pointing at the screen to say things like, “That’s a horse!” or “Birds!” Each time, Geralt would chuckle a little and say, “Yes, it is.”

Jaskier could tell this was a moment they shared often, and almost felt like an outsider, like someone who wasn’t supposed to be there. However, when Ciri decided she didn’t want to sit anymore and laid across both of their laps, he knew he was stuck there, for better or for worse.

After the movie was finished, while the credits were still rolling, Geralt announced, “Alright, time for bed.”

Ciri got up with a groan, moping over to her things before dragging her bag into Geralt’s room once he pointed it out to her. She closed the door and changed into her pajamas by herself before shuffling back out and pulling one of the boxes open. She dug around in it before finding what she wanted and came back with a book in her hand, after which she shyly ran over to Jaskier and lifted it up to him.

“What’s this?” he asked, taking it from her and flipping it over to read the cover. It looked like a standard children’s book, complete with illustrated pages and everything.

“Will you read it to me?” she asked, hands clasped in front of her as she twisted her foot on the carpet.

Jaskier was concerned at first – a bedtime story was not something he had ever done before. Also, the fact that she was going to him and not her father… he looked over to Geralt, who, somehow, almost seemed amused at the interaction.

“Go for it,” he said without needing to hear the question from Jaskier after making eye contact. “You’ll probably be better than me anyway.”

With his permission now, Jaskier gave a small nod, to which Ciri cheered and ran back into the room. She was climbing up onto the bed when he entered, burying herself under the blankets and snuggling into the center. He took the edge of the bed as his seat and cleared his throat, making sure that Ciri could see the book as he read it. Clearing his throat, he started with the title, continuing on with the flip of a page and quickly losing himself in them. He created different voices for characters on the spot, making Ciri laugh at almost every page.

When he was finally done with the book he set it on the nightstand, pushing past Ciri’s incessant pleading to read it again and telling her it was time to go to sleep. Geralt appeared to reaffirm what he was saying, tucking Ciri in tight and kissing her forehead goodnight.

They both left the room together after making sure a small night light was on, closing the door softly behind them. At first Jaskier was confused as to where Geralt was going to sleep, since it seemed Ciri had claimed the entire bed, but when he came out he noticed a pillow and a few blankets piled on the couch and he understood that he was planning to sleep there.

“Thank you,” Geralt said all of a sudden before Jaskier could leave. “I never think I read those right, and she clearly enjoyed your storytelling.”

“It was nothing,” he said, but a genuine, soft smile appeared on his face. “If it’s what she wants, then it’s what she will get.”

“I see she’s already won you over too. She does that with everyone she meets.”

“Someone would have to be crazy to not get wrapped around her finger.”

Geralt chuckled, soft and low. “Goodnight, Jaskier.”

Though Jaskier had no plans of going to sleep anytime soon and was going to stay up later on his computer, probably listening to the audition tape again, he said, “Goodnight, Geralt,” back.

Ciri was up early the next morning, which meant everyone else was too. She woke Geralt first, since he spent the night on the couch. The resounding shrieks as she ran around the room then woke Jaskier up, who couldn’t go back to sleep if he tried. And he did.

Geralt made it to the bathroom first, meaning when Jaskier came out of his room, his hair sticking up in odd angles, he was immediately dragged to the kitchen table, where Ciri had unpacked coloring books and crayons.

“Pancakes?” Geralt asked when he came back out, walking to the kitchen and pulling open the cabinets.

“Pancakes!” Ciri repeated, abandoning her coloring to run in the kitchen and put herself in Geralt’s way.

With a chuckle, Jaskier picked up her crayons and put them back in their container, leaving her and his in-progress works out for later. It was his turn to use the bathroom now, and while he enjoyed the peace and quiet for a little bit, it didn’t last. Ciri started pestering him through the door saying if he didn’t hurry his pancakes were going to be cold. She insisted cold pancakes were awful and that he wanted them hot and fresh.

Convinced, he figured he wouldn’t be going out anywhere today anyway, so he skipped a lot of vital steps in styling his hair, meaning it didn’t look as perfect as he usually kept it. But hey, it’s not like Geralt could judge considering his hair somehow always ended up greasy and disheveled by the end of the day. And Ciri was too young to really know about judging people.

The pancakes were surprisingly good. Jaskier hadn’t had any in a while, so he didn’t have really anything to compare it to. Still, the sugary sweet syrup drizzled over the pancakes, which were still fluffy on the inside. Ciri had even thrown a few chocolate chips into them, making it even more sweet.

Unsurprisingly, Ciri ruled the rest of their day. The rest of their weekend, really. It was a good thing that Jaskier still had time to learn the audition, since she wanted him to be involved in everything she did. At least he knew she liked him. If he really wanted to, he could have left them, saying he had to do things, but he didn’t think it was necessary. Plus, he didn’t want to see the disappointment on her face unless he had no other option. 

They colored more, they played games, they watched TV and movies – and every activity they did was chosen by Ciri and done on her whim. The one thing they had issues getting her to do was her homework. She didn’t have much, as young as she was, but she still had to do some. And she didn’t want to do any.

Geralt seemed used to it though, convincing her that they could do it together. Jaskier excused himself to use the bathroom when they began, but when he came back out, he saw them sitting together, laughing at the end of the table. He crossed his arms and leaned in the doorframe to watch for a few moments, a fond smile forming on his face. This was something he could grow used to – the pure, unfiltered joy and laughter the apartment had this weekend was better than he could have ever imagined to fill the space. When Ciri grabbed Geralt’s nose for some reason and he crossed his eyes to see her hand, eliciting more giggles, Jaskier’s heart fluttered in his chest. He swallowed it to move again and join the pair, probably acting as more of a hindrance than help.

Then, Monday morning, Ciri left with Geralt. He drove her to school on his way to work, and her mother would pick her up after. Jaskier had woken in time to say goodbye, but once she left, the apartment seemed rather dull again. Though, maybe it wasn’t just her leaving.

Without Ciri there to unite the pair, they seemed to be at odds with each other again. Jaskier continued to practice for his auditions, now having more than one, but he also spent a lot of time out on busy streets and in parks playing for some loose change. He happened upon a nice looking wine store on one of his outings and came home with a few bottles. Geralt was upset when he found out, insisting the fifteen dollar wine would work just as well as the fifty or sixty if he insisted on having wine. Jaskier scoffed and dismissed him – not only would he never sink to such low standards, but he reminded Geralt they had no need to worry about the money. Anything they wanted, he could get. And, it seemed his parents bought his idea to swindle a little more out of them, and all of it was spending money. 

Though they never quite fought, there was always a tense feeling in the air whenever Geralt was around. Jaskier did his best to ignore it, assuming he was just used to living alone, and it would take him some time to open up. He didn’t really seem like much of a people person anyway. As long as he had no plans to move away anytime soon, since Jaskier’s parents were forcing him to get a roommate, he didn’t mind.

This turned into a sort of routine of theirs. On the weekend, Ciri would rule the apartment, taking control and uniting Jaskier and Geralt as they aimed to please her. They would always watch their movie together, and always help her with her homework, and everything else in between varied. Then, during the week, Geralt fell silent and irritated with everything again, especially Jaskier. One night he got home from work later than normal and actually near yelled at Jaskier for being too loud before collapsing onto his bed and passing out. Jaskier had to close the door so he didn’t hear his snores, catching the faint scent of motor oil as he did.

Geralt started complaining about his back hurting, too, especially earlier in the week. Apparently, the leather couch Jaskier brought wasn’t the most comfortable thing to sleep on. And, well, Jaskier hadn’t thought anyone would be sleeping on it when he bought it, so he wasn’t really surprised. He wasn’t really sure he wanted to replace it, though, as it had cost a lot and went well with the rest of his decor.

His auditions weren’t going too well, unfortunately. The first one he had he didn’t get, but he wasn’t upset about it. They all watched each other audition for that one, and he begrudgingly agreed the man who did get his role was better. He was upset that he wasn’t even offered a spot in the ensemble though. These opportunities were coming in slowly, and it was a couple of weeks of practice before he could audition as well. So he continued to play in the streets, content if he really had to spend the rest of his life like that.

Then, one Saturday, Geralt left Jaskier alone with Ciri.

Geralt came back into the room after his phone call, finding Jaskier coloring with Ciri. “There was an emergency at work, and they’ve asked if I can come in. Do you mind staying with Ciri?”

“Of course not!” Jaskier said with a smile. “I can entertain her for a few hours.”

He gave a small sigh of relief. “Thanks.” Then he walked over and kissed Ciri’s head. “I’ll be back in a few hours, kid. Try not to burn the building down while I’m gone.”

“I’ll try not to!” she said, giggling. “Bye daddy.”

Geralt’s keys jingled in his hands when he picked them up and walked out the door.

They colored in silence for a few minutes more until Ciri finished the page she was working on, deciding then that she was finished for now and wanted to do something else. Without Geralt, their usual options were limited. A lot of her games needed more than two people, and any of the games Jaskier knew were too advanced to try and teach her. Or too inappropriate. 

“I might know something we can do…” Jaskier said, thinking. “Wait here.”

He went to his room and brought back a portable speaker and his phone. He knew he had great taste in music, but also knew that _that_ could be inappropriate, so he settled on the kidz bop versions of all the good songs. “How would you like a dance party?”

“A dance party? In here?”

“Yeah, look!” He turned the lamps to pink and set the speaker in the middle of the room. “You can dance here like no one’s watching!”

She gripped her hands together. “But… you’re watching. And Roach.”

Ah. Hadn’t Geralt mentioned she could be a bit shy at times? “Then I’ll dance with you! We’ll be as silly as our hearts content.”

It took a bit of convincing, including Jaskier starting to dance first, but Ciri eventually joined him. They both sang along to the songs they knew and danced their hearts out. Every few minutes, Ciri would ask to change the lamps to a new color. Maybe telling the child that there were color changing bulbs in them wasn’t the best idea, but hey, at least she was having fun. Roach even joined in with them, running around their feet and barking occasionally when they were singing. He probably should have expected when Ciri asked him to play songs for her instead of the radio, so he pulled his guitar out and spun in circles as he played and sang, unable to say no to her.

Eventually they both collapsed onto the couch, breathing heavily. Ciri had a big smile on her face, though, which was all Jaskier cared about. He turned the music off since it appeared that they were done, and silence fell between them for a few minutes.

“Are you my other daddy?”

Jaskier coughed with surprise, managing to say, “No – why would you think that?”

“Oh. Sorry.” She played with her hands. “Everyone at school says their parents are their parents because they live together. So I just thought…”

His eyes were still wide from the first surprise, but now she was throwing another curveball at him. His brain was short-circuiting, trying to figure out how to have the _talk_ with a _child_ without saying anything inappropriate. “Sometimes, adults can just be roommates. That means they’re living together in the same space. Nothing more. A lot of friends do that so they can stay together, or like the case of me and your daddy, total strangers can room together so they have a place to stay. What makes parents parents is that… they created and raised you since you were born. Your mommy gave birth to you and your daddy – helped.”

“Huh. So you aren’t family?”

“No. I’m just Jaskier.”

“Jaskier,” she repeated, nodding. “Well, even if you _aren’t_ my other daddy, I still like you being here.”

He smiled at her. “Thank you, Ciri. I like you being here too. Now what do you say to trying to make dinner together before Geralt gets home?”

She hopped up excitedly. “Race you to the kitchen!”

There was fresh, hot food waiting for Geralt when he returned, as well as two exhausted people and a dog who seemed to be tired too. He didn’t bother questioning what had happened. Instead, he seemed content that Ciri had a smile on her face when he walked in, and it stayed on until he kissed her head goodnight.

It was nice, living away from his parents. Jaskier had experienced it before in short bursts during college. He knew at the end of each semester he would spend a few months at home though, so it wasn’t the same. Here he was free from his parents – he didn’t have to endure their judgement, or their complaining, or their seemingly endless chore list because they didn’t want to clean. Sure, he had to clean still, but it was his own mess, and on his own terms, and in his own time. And Geralt actually helped with it, too. The only thing he had to do was call them every once in a while and answer their texts if they sent any. Rarely, he even started a text conversation with them himself.

He was playing out on the streets when his mom called. His phone was on silent, as he didn’t want anything, not even the vibrations buzzing in his pocket, to interrupt him. When he didn’t answer, she called again. And a third time, just to be sure. Jaskier didn’t notice them until he was done playing, after packing up and heading to his car. His heartbeat grew quicker upon seeing the missed calls, but there was a text too, so he read that first.

_Oh, sorry, you must be at work! Call me when you can._

He could now, sure, or he could wait until he returned to the comfort of his own home, preferably with a warm drink. Maybe spiked too. She hadn’t continued to call him, and she hadn’t said to call as soon as he was available, so whatever she had to say couldn’t be too important and could wait a few more minutes. But, considering that she had called multiple times and wanted him to call when he could, she had a purpose other than just catching up. He wasn’t quite sure if he wanted to know what that was.

Later, he found himself staring at the ceiling when Geralt came home, his phone on his chest as he sprawled across the couch. He didn’t know how much time had passed since his phone call, but he did know one thing – he had dug a hole for himself and it was now too deep to get out of alone. And he wasn’t sure there was anyone that could help him.

He didn’t even really notice Geralt come in, actually, too caught in his own thoughts to hear the front door open and close, to hear Roach run and greet him, to hear the jangle of his keys when he tossed them on the top of the drawers like he always did. In fact, he didn’t really notice Geralt until he saw him out the corner of his eye in the doorway. Geralt looked like he was debating on whether or not he should make his presence known, and Jaskier let him make that decision.

Finally, Geralt stepped further into the room and cleared his throat. “Something up?”

“I’m doomed,” he said flatly. “Count the days, Geralt, for there won’t be many left. I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place, except the hard place is thick, solid steel and the rock is way too heavy for these hands.”

He rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. “You sound like you’re being over dramatic. Did you have a bad audition again?”

“I am not being over dramatic, _Geralt_ , and the audition is tomorrow. No, I just got off the phone with my mother.”

“Ah. Parental issues.” He paused and considered what to say before managing, “Do you – want to talk about it?”

He sighed. “I guess.” He pulled his legs in and sat up some to give Geralt room to sit. Only if he wanted to, of course. But sometimes it was better to be sitting for stories. He took the empty seat and waited for Jaskier to start. “She wants me to visit. Says it’s been a while and that she misses me.” He runs a hand down his face and is silent for a moment.

Geralt doesn’t say anything. He knows that this isn’t the end of the story. As much as a drama queen Jaskier could be, that didn’t seem to match his mood.

“I’ve been lying to them. To get some more spending money out of them, I asked for extra so I knew I had enough to buy some gifts for my partner. I think you can see where this is headed now, but I will continue anyway. She thinks we met somehow up here. I’ve managed to keep all details about my relationship vague, since it doesn’t exist. But now – she wants to meet them. To _meet_ them, Geralt. I tried making excuses like ‘oh they have a busy schedule’ and ‘oh it might be hard to find a date that works for all of us.’ Do you want to know what she said?”

“You’re going to tell me anyway.”

“She said to work out what would fit into our schedules, and we can spend a weekend down there. A _weekend_. They don’t have plans any time soon, so as long as I let them know when we’re coming, any time will work. What am I supposed to do? If I admit to them that I have been lying, they will most definitely cut that extra money out of what they are giving me, if they don’t cut me off completely! And I think saying ‘oh, we broke up’ is too suspicious and will probably also make me lose the money. So I guess I have to find someone out of the millions in this city to pretend to be my partner. But how would I even go about that? Another ad, like the roommate thing? What if they are afraid of catfishing? What if no one responds to me? I don’t have any options that work, Geralt. I’m done for.”

There was a long pause, and he could see Geralt was considering his words. He covered his face with his hands, unable to stand the silence and the probable judging going through Geralt’s head. Why did he bring it up in the first place? He should just accept the defeat, really, and prepare for the worst.

“I’ll help you,” Geralt mumbled. 

Jaskier shot up and stared at him, shocked. Did he really just – say that? Hesitantly, he asked, “You will?”

“On one condition,” he said, turning to Jaskier and looking at him with a scowl. “You need to get your head out of the clouds.”

“My head isn’t–”

“No, don’t protest this. I’ll help you with that too, but it’s time to get you back down to earth, to learn what you’re supposed to do in the real world. To get a job, to stop living so extravagantly when you never know when you might need that money for something far more important than a bottle of wine. Those are my terms.”

Jaskier blinked, opened his mouth to speak, and then closed it. He might not be completely on board with Geralt’s condition, but what choice did he have? “Okay.”

“We’ll have to bring Ciri if it’s a weekend. And maybe Roach, depending on if I can find a sitter.”

“My mom’s allergic to dogs, so… probably best to find a sitter. But yes, we will certainly bring Ciri.” He rubbed at his temples, the beginning of a headache forming after his stress was only replaced with a different kind instead of disappearing. “Shall we work out the details over some food?”

They ordered dinner, to make things less complicated. With pizza in front of them, they regarded each other from the other side of the table for a while before anyone started talking.

“Well, at least we don’t have to fabricate a story about how we met,” Jaskier started, opening the box and pulling at the crust to separate two pieces from each other. When he finally freed his piece, the cheese pulled away, long strings taking forever to break off from the rest of the pie. Yes, this was definitely a good pizza place. “Though, I have to admit, I would have been able to create a stunning story.”

“Would it have been realistic?” Geralt asked gruffly, pulling out two pieces for himself. “That’s part of the issue here.”

He rolled his eyes. “Let’s not worry about what might have been when we have a lot to go over already, okay? So, we should know facts about each other. Easy, simple things. A couple of likes, a couple of dislikes. Where we work is probably the most important. So, would you like to start?”

Geralt blinked at him from across the table as Jaskier took a bite of his pizza. The silence seemed to go on for a little too long, but, Geralt had been chewing, so at least he was being polite. “You don’t know where I work, do you.”

“Don’t talk to me in that tone. I bet you don’t know where I work either,” he scoffed.

“You don’t.”

“Hey – no, as far as my mom knows, I _do_ work.”

He pinched the bridge of his nose. “So you’re lying to them in more than one way.”

“At least I didn’t lie about getting a roommate and you got to move in!” He huffed and looked away, thinking. “Tell her I work as a pianist somewhere. What’s that fancy hotel down the street, do you think–”

“No.”

“No?”

“No.”

“Geralt, if you don’t tell her I have a job, then there’s no point in us doing this in the first place.”

“It can’t be at that hotel.”

He raised an eyebrow. “You have a problem with the hotel? What about… that restaurant down on 5th? You know, the one with that ridiculously long wait line.”

“This is part of your issue, Jaskier. It can’t be a fancy place. Not only would it be insanely hard for someone just out of college to get one there, as they would definitely want someone of more experience, but it would be a lot easier for your parents to see through your lie, as they could find out about it. However, if we just say the restaurant down the street…”

“I guess it’s vague enough that I can believe it’s fancy,” he sighed. “Where do you work?”

“Kaer Morhen Customs.”

“Right… and what is that?”

“An auto repair shop.”

“Auto repair – so you’re a mechanic!” He smiled, feeling proud for putting the two together, but he shrunk in on himself under Geralt’s unimpressed, almost disappointed stare. Yes, it was rather obvious that that’s what he meant. It was also bad that he was only just figuring out what his roommate did for a living. He ate some more pizza to get rid of the feeling. “We’ll need more than this. What’s your favorite color?”

“I don’t have one.”

“Come on, you have a seven-year-old daughter. You can’t tell me you don’t have a favorite color. She had to have goaded one out of you at some point.”

“Black.”

“I don’t believe you!”

This conversation took place over the course of a couple of nights. Whenever they sat down to eat together, they would quiz each other on their old discoveries and find new ones to tell each other about. It was like speed dating, but without the dating part. Most definitely without the dating part. Because Geralt was only doing it so that he wouldn’t lose his roommate, losing the room too in the process since he probably couldn’t afford it. That was what Jaskier had convinced himself of, at least. 

It didn’t stop when Ciri was back for the weekend; it would look bad if Jaskier didn’t know much about his boyfriend’s daughter, wouldn’t it? Especially since they need to bring her along for the visit. So, he spent some time getting to know what she likes besides the activities they do together in the apartment, as well as the different activities she was involved in at school. He tried to put it in her head that she should try theatre when she was old enough to join a group, and she didn’t exactly say no. But for now, gymnastics was what was important, as well as a fencing class come summer vacation, because she will finally be old enough. She was looking forward to it.

Jaskier was afraid of his mom’s reaction when he told her there would be three of them coming. He didn’t know how she would react to the random child he never mentioned. Oddly enough, she seemed thrilled at the idea, and was so giddy when she hung up that even some of the built up nerves he had started to get disappeared. He was confident in Geralt and that he would be quiet for a lot of the time anyway. He was confident in himself too, having memorized everything he was told like they were lines in a theatre performance. It was just one weekend. Friday night, all of Saturday, and probably half of Sunday. After that, they could go back to being normal roommates. He would fabricate a break up story for his parents eventually, saying they split but agreed to stay friends. Geralt had a strange reaction when Jaskier mentioned this, but he supposed it was because of Geralt’s previous relationship and brushed it away.

Geralt drove them to the beach in his truck the weekend they had planned for. He had taken a half day at work, and they picked Ciri up after school, bags already packed for her. He left Roach with one of his coworkers for the weekend, so they didn’t have to worry about her. 

Jaskier was in the passenger seat, which meant he had control of the radio and what music they listened to. Geralt didn’t have many CDs in the truck, and from what he did have, Jaskier didn’t think any of them were good. So, he filtered through radio stations, changing channels every couple of songs and definitely annoying Geralt, though he didn’t say anything.

He couldn’t help it, though. His nerves were getting to him again, and he would have preferred to drive. Then his hands would have been preoccupied by the steering wheel, and he would have had to focus on the road. While he had enough seats for everyone, a long drive like this would have been uncomfortable for Geralt in his car. It was too small for as big as he was, height and muscle wise. And, since he was already helping Jaskier out so much, he didn’t want to make Geralt uncomfortable. 

Jaskier was the first out of the car when they arrived, hoping to catch his mom before she forced her presence on Geralt and Ciri. It was a good thing, too, because as soon as he did, the front door opened.

“Julian!” she yelled, running over to him and enveloping him in a hug. “Oh, I’ve missed you. You look good! Did you do something with your hair?”

“I missed you too. And it’s just getting a bit longer is all. I have an appointment with a salon someone recommended to me soon.”

She brushed a strand off of his forehead and said, “Well I don’t think it looks bad.” Their conversation ended abruptly when Ciri closed the door of the truck behind her, her own small rolling suitcase in hand and her backpack on her back. “Oh, you must be Ciri!” She crouched down in front of her to introduce herself.

Geralt gestured to Jaskier from the other side of the truck, so he hurried over. He was met with his suitcase and duffel bag, both of which he had felt necessary to have and now had to carry into the house. Geralt picked up his own duffel bag and closed the door, locking the truck. They walked back over to his mom together, who was still bothering Ciri.

“Mom,” Jaskier said, moving her attention away. “I’d like for you to meet Geralt.”

She stood back up and blinked a few times, looking up at Geralt to see him properly. 

“It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Pankratz,” he said, extending his hand.

“It’s nice to finally meet you too, Geralt.” She accepted his handshake, studying him quickly. “Oh, what am I doing? Come in, come in. We don’t want to spend the night out here!”

She led the way back up the front steps and into the house, which was spotless. The foyer fit all four of them, if only just, before leading to the staircase upstairs. There were rooms to the left and right, and presumably the kitchen was on the other side of the stairs. Jaskier wasn’t really surprised everything was clean, for they had planned this for at least a week, but he wasn’t sure he had ever seen it this clean. He almost wondered if she had somehow roped his dad into helping. Speaking of which…

Jaskier’s dad appeared in the doorway next to them, leaning against the frame and studying Geralt. As he did, Jaskier held his breath. This was the most worrying meeting, and a first impression was everything. If Geralt didn’t impress his dad, fake dating or not, it wouldn’t be good.

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Pankratz,” Geralt said, extending his hand once more. “I’m Geralt, and this is my daughter, Ciri.”

There was another nail-biting moment of silence before he finally barked out a laugh and took Geralt’s hand enthusiastically, clapping his other arm as he did. “Please, Mr. Pankratz was my father. Call me Harold.”

He nodded, and Jaskier let out a sigh of relief. He knew Geralt was uncomfortable, for he wasn’t usually this verbose, especially when being nice, but the worst had passed. He had to do introductions – but Jaskier could lead his mom off and answer most of the questions they had for both of them.

“Julian! Show our guests to their rooms so you can get rid of your luggage. Then come back down; dinner’s almost ready!”

Jaskier did as he was told, leading them up the stairs as he talked. “The guest room is just up here, it’s the first room. Then it’s my old room…” he trailed off and paused on the steps, earning a grunt from Geralt. “Sorry, it’s just. We only have one spare room. I didn’t even think about that until now. Someone will have to share.”

They continued up the stairs together until they reached the top. As Jaskier led them to the guest room, Ciri immediately ran in and claimed the bed, dropping her suitcase and jumping on it. She giggled as the pillows around her launched into the air.

“Yes, well, I guess that was expected.” He looked over to Geralt. “I can try to find our air mattress?”

Geralt didn’t answer, turning around instead and walking back out into the hall. “You said the second’s yours?”

“Yes.”

Geralt walked into Jaskier’s room first, facing mostly empty walls and shelves with only a few momentos still up. Old trophies he had won, for example. Or pictures he didn’t think he needed to bring to the new apartment. The bed sat in the middle of the wall – a full with access from both sides. From the wear of the dark carpet, it was clear Jaskier always used the side he could walk straight to. His desk was right there next to that side anyway, so it made for an easy jump on and off of whatever he was working on.

Making his way to the other side of the room, Geralt dropped his bag on the floor. Jaskier laid his own things down too, raising an eyebrow.

“So you’ll stay in here then?”

“Wouldn’t your parents be expecting that?”

True. Jaskier hadn’t thought of that. “I don’t want to make you uncomfortable or anything. You’re already doing so much.”

“It’s fine.”

He pursed his lips, not entirely believing Geralt, but then again, it could be his own insecurities coming through. “We should get to dinner then, before my mom says anything.”

They picked Ciri up out of the guest room and traveled back downstairs, finding pots and pans in the process of filling up the dining room table. “Ah, there you are. Settle in, settle in, I’ve only got another dish or two!”

Once everyone was settled in, Jaskier was the first to delve into the dishes, plating food for Ciri, who couldn’t quite reach anything. She sat between him and Geralt, insisting to be next to both of them. 

“So, I know you two met as roommates,” his mom started as everyone else continued to fill their plates and begin eating. “It’s a small world, isn’t it? What I don’t know, Geralt, is what do you do for a living?”

“I work at a car mechanic shop,” he said before stuffing food into his mouth.

“A mechanic, eh?” his dad said. “Maybe you could take a look at that old thing in the garage. It hasn’t run right since, oh, probably sometime while Julian was still in high school.”

“He’s not here to work, dad,” Jaskier said with a frown. “I brought him here to meet you and relax for a weekend.”

He waved it off. “I didn’t mean he had to do it now. Just sometime, if he felt up to it.”

“And how is your job going, Julian?” his mom said, taking a hold of the conversation again.

“It’s going well.” He looked down at his plate and picked at his food, pulling out the bits he didn’t like to avoid eye contact. “Playing for a restaurant nearby as I try and find something bigger. Hopefully that will happen soon!”

She nodded. “And what about you, Ciri? What do you want to be when you grow up?”

“I want to be a knight!” she said around a mouthful of food. Everyone chuckled.

Dinner continued on in a similar fashion – Jaskier’s parents seemed insistent on asking the supposed couple questions, most of which Jaskier was able to answer. The rest he couldn’t take from Geralt, and he answered in quick sentences, or they were aimed for Ciri, to keep her interested. Eventually, when the questions stopped flowing quite as often, Jaskier was able to ask a few of his own, trying to see how his parents were doing while he had been gone and to hopefully get them talking about something else for long enough that dinner would be over. No more questions, no more lies. 

After dinner, Ciri ran to the TV. Just because they were somewhere else didn’t mean her routine was going to change. Jaskier had told his mom about this beforehand, and she was ready with piles of desserts and sweets for everyone as they settled in to watch a movie together. Jaskier and Geralt sat next to each other on the sofa, like they do in their own apartment, and Ciri laid over top of them again. This time, however, it felt different.

Jaskier noticed they were closer than they usually sat. _Much_ closer. Close enough that their legs were touching, in fact. He couldn’t focus on the movie as he felt the outside of Geralt’s thigh on his own, warm even through the pair of jeans he was wearing. Every slight shift from any of them made him more aware of it as they pressed further together for the briefest moment. He felt he might faint when Geralt moved his arm and their fingers brushed together, his own small and nimble against Geralt’s large and rough. 

Sure, they were supposed to be dating, and sure, Geralt might have done it on purpose, but Jaskier was almost regretting bringing him now. Now, after a weekend of fake dating, they would go back to normal. Now, after a weekend of being with his roommate, who he had thought was hot from the start but was _definitely_ causing him to blush and maybe a few... other things, they would pretend this never happened. It could have been anyone else, and they could have parted ways later and never seen each other again. But they were both signed on that lease, and they both had to stay for a while longer before they could even consider the thought of moving somewhere else. He still had months of repressed feelings to deal with after this, to try and find someone to move on with so that he didn’t have to move away.

It only got worse after the movie. Ciri was starting to fall asleep, so it was time to put her to bed. Jaskier’s parents admitted they were tired too and were going to call it a night. Since everyone else was going to sleep, Geralt and Jaskier decided to follow suit, although on a normal night they both would have been up a while longer.

That was when Jaskier found Geralt slept shirtless.

Jaskier took his things to the bathroom to change and give Geralt some privacy to do the same. He spent a little longer on his nightly routine than he tended to, ensuring Geralt had plenty of time to situate himself. Upon returning, he closed the door behind him, only to be greeted with the sight of large portions of uncovered skin. He almost wanted to shield his eyes at first, to give Geralt some decency, but he got distracted as his eyes fell upon Geralt’s pecs. His eyes swept over Geralt’s body, lowering from the pecs to the almost glistening abs, and even lower still than that, where the tight pants he was wearing left little to the imagination. Jaskier gulped and tugged a little at his collar.

“You, uh. You can have the bed,” he mumbled, turning away as embarrassment quickly flushed his cheeks.

“What about you?”

He shrugged. “I’ll just sleep on the floor. You’re the guest here, afterall.”

“Nonsense. I’m not going to make you sleep on the floor of your own room.” He glanced at the bed. “There’s enough room here. I’m sure we could share.”

Jaskier squeaked, freezing when the noise left his lips and making a mental note to never, _ever_ , try to fake a relationship with anyone again. “Alright,” he said, barely managing to keep his voice even. “I’ll – get the lights.”

He fumbled around in the dark to make it back to the bed, nearly tripping over his suitcase. There was a low creak as Geralt presumably climbed in, followed by the rustle of blankets. Jaskier cautiously slid in on his side of the bed, trying to keep to the edge as much as he could to give Geralt space as he slipped under the covers. 

It was warm under the blankets, warmer than he remembered. It might be the presence of another person, though, as he usually slept alone. As he lay flat on his back staring at the ceiling, with one arm dangling off the edge of the bed, he wondered if Geralt snored. Of course, at this rate, it didn’t seem to matter, as Jaskier was too hyper aware of everything to really try and go to sleep. All he could think about was the bit of white hair he could see out of the corner of his eye on the other side of the bed, curled up under the same blankets he was. And he was thinking that he was _fucked_.

Eventually pure exhaustion took over, and the familiar alluring sound of the waves crashing just outside helped him finally fall asleep. 

The rest of the weekend went well, Jaskier thought. Though well was relative, as all of the problems that he suddenly found that night persisted through the weekend. It was the off season at the boardwalk, so at least half of the storefronts were closed, but they still all went there together. They walked down the wooden planks and enjoyed the sun, buying a couple of snacks while they were there as well as lunch. 

Ciri convinced Geralt to buy her a stuffed animal unicorn she saw hanging from one of the stores, and she shrieked with joy and surprise when Jaskier pulled the other one she was looking at, the wolf, from the rack and bought it for her. She also convinced them all to play a round of mini golf. It was fun, watching Geralt hunched over the tiny club and misjudging the strength he would need to hit it. His first ball vanished and they had to ask the front for another – they really didn’t know what happened to it, only that one moment it was there, and the next it wasn’t. After that moment, he nearly didn’t use enough force. Some of his shots were lucky, making it to the edge of a decline where gravity took over. Some of them barely made it a few feet.

After a few shots like that, Jaskier had chuckled and pulled his club from his shoulder, passing it to his mom. He walked up to Geralt, who was trying to figure out how to line up his shot. Of course, seeing how big Geralt was and how small Jaskier was, he obviously couldn’t wrap his arms around him and help him shoot the ball, like the popular romance cliche. What he did instead was show Geralt while standing next to him. When he took the shot and managed to clear the rest of the course and sink the ball into the hole, the smile he gave Jaskier melted his insides. His smile was more rare than black opal. It left Jaskier a mess for the rest of the game. 

They returned to the house mid afternoon, with plans to start Ciri on her homework, but she insisted she wanted to go to the beach. Knowing it would be better while the sun was still up, and that they probably couldn’t the following day, Geralt relented. Jaskier’s parents went back inside, claiming they had been out on their feet long enough and needed to rest, so it was just Jaskier, Geralt, and Ciri.

The sand was warm and soft between their toes, and Ciri immediately ran for the edge of the water, peering down to see if she could find any shells. Jaskier leaned down with her, digging his fingers in the wet sand, when the next wave crashed ashore and they were suddenly standing in water up to their ankles. He scooped up a handful and splashed at Ciri, who yelled before splashing him back. They roped Geralt into their game too, and soon all of their pants were soaked, even though they hadn’t gone into the ocean that far. Eventually they tired, retreating back to the house with a handful of shells.

Jaskier was horrified the next morning when he woke only to find himself cuddling against Geralt. Though it was an unconscious accident, he still felt it was a breach of privacy. He had to get out of the room then and instead went down to the kitchen, where he was roped into helping his mom make breakfast.

Then, after their pancakes, it was over. It felt like the weekend had only just begun, but yet they were packing their bags. They said their goodbyes, everyone getting kissed on the cheek by Jaskier’s mom, and the truck doors closed behind them as they climbed in with a solid finality.

It was oddly quiet in the car on the way back home. Sure, there was music playing, but Jaskier didn’t even change the channel this time. The only time he did was when the station was out of range and the radio had become all static. He was too busy thinking about the fun he had, and how he was sad it was over. Even though he knew they were faking the relationship to please his parents, he couldn’t help but feel as if, for a brief moment, it had been real. 

He remembered the feel of Geralt’s knuckles brushing his as they walked side by side on the boardwalk, the tension building as they wondered if they should hold hands to keep up the act but Ciri interrupting and dragging them away. The funnel cake they had shared, sitting between them, because Jaskier could never finish one himself. They both reached for the same piece at the same time, like Lady and the Tramp with their spaghetti, laughing it off after their fingers collided. Of how he had nearly fallen over into the waves while splashing Ciri, but it was Geralt’s strong arm gripping his that kept him from having to wash the salt water out of his hair that night. 

He thought that it would be nice to sleep in the same bed as Geralt again. To enjoy more of those moments together. Maybe he’d even be okay with calling Ciri his daughter, and letting him call her dad.

Geralt must have noticed Jaskier was withdrawn when they returned, for he steered Ciri away from him as much as he could that night. Once Ciri was in bed, he even went to the wine and poured himself a glass, nursing it in his room, back in front of his computer and his empty inbox. Maybe Geralt was right. He shouldn’t have lied. Lying seems to only hurt yourself more than anyone in the end.

Jaskier was given that Monday alone. Geralt had to drive Ciri to school, so they left earlier than normal, and he hadn’t picked up Roach yet. It meant the apartment was extremely quiet. Almost uncomfortable, even. He barely left his room other than when he needed to use the bathroom, and when he needed some food.

He knew Geralt had returned when Roach came barking into the apartment, immediately pushing Jaskier’s door open from when it was half-shut and nuzzling around his legs. He chuckled and leaned down to pet her, surprised when she sat down on his feet and refused to move.

Later, they ordered pizza for dinner, because Jaskier wanted something greasy. He also didn’t want to have them cooking for two reasons. He really didn’t want to have to deal with dishes, and if they cooked right after eating his mom’s cooking, anything they made would seem like a disappointment. It was then that Geralt finally confronted him – kind of.

“I’ve been thinking,” he began, watching the end of his pizza sag as he picked it up. “About that deal we made.”

“Yes?” Jaskier’s piece did a similar thing. He bent the crust some to try and give it more stability before giving up and tilting his head to bite off the wilting end.

“I think a trip out of the apartment will do you some good. Why don’t you come to work with me tomorrow and meet the guys?”

Jaskier wasn’t sure how that would help, but he agreed nonetheless, nodding around his pizza. A promise was a promise, and he didn’t want to back out of it. Especially not when the weekend had gone so well. 

So, he got up earlier than usual in the morning, and he started getting ready. While first impressions were always important, this was also a car garage they were going to, so he didn’t think their standards were very high. He would also need to be sure the clothes he wore could withstand a bit of dirt and grime, and if they didn’t wash out, he wouldn’t mind.

He may have spent a little too long trying to decide what clothes he _could_ part with, for Geralt eventually started trying to rush him. After a few more minutes of deliberating and a few more incessant calls from Geralt outside the door, he decided it was good enough. They made sure Roach had enough food and water for the day and left together, climbing back into Geralt’s truck.

They drove to a part of the city Jaskier wasn’t familiar with. Seeing as he spent most of his time in parks or the richer neighborhoods, it wasn’t really surprising. But Geralt seemed to know the way just fine – he took a seemingly endless amount of turns to avoid the high-traffic areas, all without a GPS. 

Admittedly, Jaskier was a little nervous when Geralt finally parked the truck, glad Geralt took the lead towards the building. Low levels of rock music were floating through the glass door, which was easier to hear once Geralt opened it. The bell above the door tinkled as well with the movement, ringing out in the shop.

“I’ll be right with you!” someone called out the back as the pair stepped in.

“No need, Vesemir,” Geralt called back, “It’s just me.”

“Well look who finally decided to show up,” another voice said as they walked towards the garage, finding a car in the middle of the open space with a jack under it and one of its tires missing. The man who was talking to them slid out from under the car. “Thought you could come waltzing in here late just because Vesemir likes you the best?”

“Shut it, Lambert,” Geralt grunted, crossing the room and leaving Jaskier behind in the doorway, wide-eyed. “Besides, I would have been here earlier, but someone was having trouble getting ready on time.”

It seemed that Lambert only just noticed he had walked in with someone else, as he turned his gaze to Jaskier. “Look what the wolf dragged in. What are you?”

“I’m – Geralt’s roommate, Jaskier.”

He snorted. “Ah, you’re the rich kid. Have a seat, have a seat. No one’s going to bite.”

“Where are my hair ties?” Geralt called across the room, searching one of the benches. 

“I used them to hold the car engine in place!” Lambert yelled before sliding back under the car.

The other man in the room picked something off of the table he was at and tossed it to Geralt. “Thanks, Eskel.”

“You should keep track of that bag more often.”

“Yeah, yeah.” He waved it off.

Jaskier sat down gingerly on the chair by the wall and watched as Geralt pulled his hair back, tying it in a ponytail. He wasn’t sure if he had ever seen him pull it back, but it looked – nice. 

“So what’s the deal with him?” Lambert called from under the car.

“Figured it was time to get his head out of the clouds.”

“No shit. Why here?”

He shrugged.

Eskel walked over to Jaskier and properly introduced himself. “Vesemir hired Geralt and I around the same time, and we’ve been here ever since. Vesemir’s the old grumpy man in the back, in his office.”

“I heard that! I’m not deaf, Eskel!”

He chuckled and yelled back, “I wasn’t trying to be quiet!”

Though Jaskier still felt awkward sitting there in the chair, he watched the three start to work together on the car, tossing tools back and forth with ease that he could hardly remember the name of. Though he questioned whoever turned on the music. At one point, when they were all involved with the car, Jaskier snuck over to the radio and switched it to a pop station. Everyone else laughed as Lambert started cursing, hitting his head on the underside of the car.

Vesemir filtered in and out of the room, but it seemed like his job was mostly working on the paperwork, money, ordering new replacement parts, and helping any customers who came in. 

It was fun watching the men work together, playfully insulting each other and overall bickering back and forth. They were almost like a small family, and by lunch even Jaskier found himself chuckling along with them. He thought he had figured out why Geralt brought him over.

They all took a break together for lunch, piling into a clean conference looking room to eat. The banter continued through mouthfuls of food to the point that Vesemir had to tell them to shut up and eat.

Jaskier’s phone buzzed and he picked it up, curiously. “Oh, another package has arrived. Remind me to pick it up when we get back, Geralt.”

“It’s not another box of beanies, is it?”

“Box of beanies?” Eskel asked.

Jaskier gestured to the one on his head. “Really well crafted, made out of a great soft material, it’s getting cold so I thought I could use a few?”

“Geralt, how big was the box?”

He made vague hand gestures to show the height and length. Eskel whistled. 

“Jesus, how many beanies fit in that thing?” Lambert asked.

He frowned. “I bought several colors. I have to be able to match with any outfit–”

“When Aiden bought a box that big of just cat toys, I thought he was insane. The only thing that kept me from reaching that conclusion was that he got most of them on sale. But _beanies_? Are you really going to wear all of them?”

“Well,” he faltered, “I – suppose it depends on what outfits I decide to wear, you know…”

“You know what I’ve always wanted?” Eskel said, eliciting groans from the others. “A goat. Have you ever seen those adorably cute goat videos?”

“Why not get one?”

He laughed, making Jaskier shrink in on himself, feeling foolish. “I can’t afford a goat.”

“Oh. Well, if that’s all, I could buy you one if you wanted.”

The room fell silent as all eyes turned to Jaskier. He really didn’t know what he kept saying that was so wrong.

“You really weren’t exaggerating with this one,” Vesemir grunted, and Geralt tilted his head in agreement. 

“I can’t own a goat,” Eskel explained. “Tell me, what would be important to owning a goat?”

“I suppose – food, water. A place to run around, like a small yard or something.”

“Right. And where do I find a small yard in the city?”

“I – don’t know.”

He nodded. “I live in a tiny one bedroom apartment that I swear used to be a studio apartment because of how thin the bedroom walls are. There’s barely enough room for me and scorpion – my dog. Besides, I don’t have the time to care for one, either. At least scorpion can fend for himself while I’m away. I don’t know what a goat’s habits are to do that.”

“Okay, I see your point.”

“So,” Lambert interrupted, “Do you see why maybe you didn’t have to buy the entire stock of beanies and leave some for the rest of us? Could you have just dealt with one or two?”

“I suppose.”

“Suppose,” he repeated under his breath, snorting. “Damn rich kids.”

Even though lunch had been a little much, Jaskier still enjoyed his time there. He thinks he finally found the true reason Geralt brought him along. At first he had believed it was the way they acted like a family, trying to show him how close coworkers can be. But then lunch happened, and he truly realized what a different lifestyle he led than the rest. He sat back and watched them the rest of the afternoon, studying them with this new knowledge. Geralt had brought him here because he knew he could trust them to say what he could not, whether because he didn’t want to or he didn’t know how. But by no means are these men unhappy. In fact, he thinks this job is probably what makes them happy. They don’t need money, or things to leave around the house, unused. They needed an enjoyable job, which got them out of the house and filled their days with something they loved. Surrounded by people they loved.

After, when they were driving back, Jaskier sat on his hands to keep them warm and meekly asked Geralt if he could come back with him the next day. A brief smile appeared on his face and he nodded.

Jaskier was ready on time the next morning. Which was impressive, seeing as he had packed up his laptop and a notebook. Geralt raised an eyebrow when he noticed the bag, but didn’t ask any questions.

He took his seat after greeting the others and pulled his laptop out, determined. This determination was weakened a little by embarrassment when he had to ask for the wifi password, but nonetheless, he persevered. The others quietly asked Geralt what he was doing, but all he could do was shrug.

With his notebook in hand, and an empty word document open before him, Jaskier started talking. It was mostly to himself, really, but because the others could clearly hear him even over the pop music, they interjected from time to time. Together, they helped him build a solid resume, and chose between a few of his songs and lyrics to build a portfolio. He could have sworn that he saw a proud look in Geralt’s eyes when they made eye contact, but he quickly ducked behind the car, so he couldn’t be sure.

The next day he came in again in a similar fashion. This time, he typed away in search engines, listing off different jobs, their pay rates, and the possible hours he would get from them. This ranged from smaller scale musicals to even plays, restaurants looking for a live pianist to play during dinner, and a couple of other, stranger jobs that were still related to music. The guys would help him decide if it was worth it or not. They debated travel time, and pay rate, and the experience needed for each one. Eventually, they settled on a handful so he had options, and Jaskier sent his information to them before he and Geralt left for the day. 

He didn’t go back every day after he sent his resume and applications out, busy trying to write more songs and practicing for if he did get those auditions. But, he would still stop in if he was in the area.

When he received an email that he was being asked for an interview, he raced over to the shop and burst through the door, yelling the news. He startled the customer at the front desk, apologizing briefly before running into the garage. After his news was repeated, to be sure everyone heard it, he was awarded with lots of encouraging cheers. Once the euphoria of getting an interview wore off, however, he suddenly found himself extremely nervous. He had auditioned before, sure, but not interviewed. He had no idea where to begin.

So, the rest of that day and all of the next, he was in the garage again, getting advice on what to do during the interview. Some of it was useless (“don’t peacock around and think you’re better than everyone” Lambert said) but a lot of it helped ease his nerves as he prepared for the day. Eventually they started quizzing him, performing mock interviews between tightening bolts and fixing brake lines. At the end of it, he felt much better, feeling as if he now had a loose script he could memorize and follow.

He walked into the shop the day of his interview with confidence, waving to Vesemir as he passed through straight into the garage. A wolf whistle greeted him, earning Lambert two glares – one from Jaskier, and surprisingly, one from Geralt.

“You clean up well, rich kid,” Lambert called, wiping grease off of his wrench with a rag. “Not that I’d consider you anything other than clean on a regular day, of course.”

“Don’t you have that interview today?” Eskel asked, pushing Lambert away and back towards the car.

“Just finished, actually. Thought I’d stop by on my way back.” He sat down in his chair, but remained on the edge, tension building up in his body.

“How’d it go?”

“Pretty well, actually.” He flashed a smile. “They offered me the job.”

The cheering that erupted from the garage caused Vesemir to leave his desk to find out what had happened. He found Jaskier surrounded by the others, giddily bouncing on his feet as the others congratulated him, assuring they knew he could do it, and knew he had it in him.

“Which one was it?” Vesemir asked once they let Jaskier free.

“The Stardust Diner. Part time waiter, part time entertainer, full time employee. They help their staff by giving them a place to practice and perform for their auditions, which they also help out with. The person I’m replacing, actually, is going to star in one of the new musicals!”

Geralt made his way over to Jaskier and clapped a hand on his shoulder. Strangely, all the others quickly found something else to do, scattering around the room. “I’m proud of you,” he said, mouth curved upwards in a grin.

“Wouldn’t have managed to do it without you,” Jaskier chuckled. “So thank you.”

He nodded and dropped his hand, looking around the room awkwardly. “When do you start?”

“Two weeks. Plenty of time to come up with an excuse to my parents on why I changed jobs, huh?”

A low chuckle escaped his lips. “Yeah. But at least you don’t have to lie anymore.”

“...yeah.” He turned away from Geralt before he started staring at his plump lips. With the adrenaline still coursing through his veins, he was afraid he might try and do something stupid. Like lean up and kiss Geralt. The last thing he wanted to do in the middle of this triumph was cause a disaster. When he looked back, briefly, he found Geralt had moved away too. He tried not to show his disappointment.

The apartment seemed livelier than ever, now that Jaskier had a job. Sure, it was now empty most days, and sure, he had a few weekend shifts where he lost time with Ciri, but the overall atmosphere felt warmer and more cheerful. He continued to write songs in his free time, and stopped buying the most expensive things and things in excess. 

Jaskier greeted Geralt in the parking garage one Friday afternoon, helping him carry in a few new things Ciri wanted to bring over. “Got my first paycheck today!” he said as he took a box from Geralt.

“And you’re going to save it, right?”

He didn’t answer, looking sheepish.

Geralt caught his eye and sighed. “I thought we went over this–”

“I know, I know. Just – let’s get back upstairs, and I’ll explain. Because I think the purchase I made was super important.”

“Fine.”

Ciri led them through the halls, running through the unlocked door before they could so she could greet Roach. Jaskier and Geralt followed in behind her and made sure the door was closed, setting their boxes down on the table. Immediately, Geralt crossed his arms and turned to Jaskier.

Before he could say anything, if he was going to say anything, Jaskier gestured with his head towards the living room. When they got there, he stuck his hands out towards the couch and said, “Ta-da!”

The old cream leather couch was gone, replaced with a more plush one, with bigger cushions and a little more room. The old Jaskier would have never been caught dead with furniture like that in his possession, but he now saw the value in the cheaper items.

“Why did you replace the couch?”

“I sold the old one,” he admitted, plopping down on it and patting his hand on the other cushion. “Had someone come and grab it earlier, and put this one up in its place. It’s a futon – a foldable bed. Thought it would be better to sleep on whenever Ciri is over.”

Geralt quietly sat down on the other side of the couch. “It’s soft,” he finally said.

“I know I’m not supposed to be buying big things anymore unless I save up for them, and I _have_ been getting better at it, but do I at least get points for selling the old one first?”

“I’ll excuse you for this,” he said, and Jaskier grinned. “But no more big purchases–”

“Unless I save for them or it’s necessary, yes, I just said that. I would have waited, but I didn’t think this could wait.”

After a few moments, Geralt muttered, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” he said, matching Geralt’s soft tone. “I’ll make it up next week at work. Speaking of work…” he got up and crossed the room to Ciri, taking her hand, lifting her from the floor and spinning her around, earning giggles from her. “Don’t forget that tuesday night we are having a children’s special, little one. I expect to see you there!”

“Oh, right! Daddy, does Mommy know? Can you remind her? I really want to go!”

“She knows, Ciri. She’s planned around it so the three of us can go.”

“Three?” He looked at Geralt curiously, catching his nod. He hadn’t expected all three of them to come together. Admittedly, he wasn’t sure who he was expecting to go, or who he actually wanted to go. But, he supposed they could tolerate one meal together. “I’ll make sure they seat the three of you in the section I’m waiting on, then,” he said with a wink. 

“What kind of food do they have there? Burgers? Pizza? Chicken nuggets? Do you make the food?” Ciri asked, bouncing between each question. She seemed eager to know, so Jaskier chuckled and answered everything she wanted to know.

Of course, Jaskier’s shift Tuesday started much earlier than when the others would be there, so he had to focus on serving orders and picking songs on the Karaoke machine to sing to. He was still waiting for the perfect moment to carry a jug or two around and sing “Be Our Guest” while refilling drinks. Surely it would line up eventually. He was excited when he came out of the kitchen with a plate of food and immediately noticed someone sitting in his section with bright white hair. Surely, there was no one else with a shoulder width like that and long white locks.

He delivered the food he had and placed the tray under his arm, striding over to their table. “Welcome to the Stardust Diner, my name is Jaskier and I’ll be your server today. Is there anything I can start you off with?”

Ciri laughed and pointed at him. “I knew your name already, Jaskier!”

He smiled. “So you did, little one.” The smile faltered when he met the gaze of Yennefer, clearing his throat and turning to address Geralt instead. He didn’t want to say something wrong and upset her. “Are you ready to order, or do you need more time?”

“Drinks?” he said, and Jaskier nodded.

After placing their drink order in the kitchen, Jaskier noticed he was up soon on the list. One of his coworkers was currently singing a pop song with one of the children she had asked at the tables. Quickly, he went back to their table and crouched next to Ciri.

When he proposed the idea, her face went white. “I don’t – know.”

“Come on, I’ll be with you every step of the way. We’ll sing together, just like back at the apartment! I’ll even let you choose the song.”

“Do you have Disney songs?”

“We have _lots_ of Disney songs,” he said, lightly poking her nose with his finger.

“... Okay, I guess I’ll come up.”

“Wonderful!” He offered her his hand and pulled her away from the table, taking her to the karaoke machine so they could pick a song.

Jaskier was already wearing a microphone – they had stage microphones so it was easy to switch between food and performing. He placed one in Ciri’s hand when it was their turn, and held her other tightly. Together, they sang Let it Go, Jaskier’s enthusiasm wearing off on Ciri as she started to get into it. By the end, after he pulled her up the stairs onto the small stage surrounded by rows of booths to dance around on, she wanted to go again and dance some more. Regretfully, he had to take her back to the table, and they had to give other kids a chance, but he would see if later any of his coworkers would be willing to pull her from the crowd again.

Yennefer seemed amused as Ciri sat back down with them. Geralt was harder to read, but something told Jaskier he had enjoyed it, too. He had an almost fond look in his eyes. While he was there, he pulled a notepad from his apron and took their food orders.

They were finished eating before Jaskier’s shift was over, but he had the opportunity to perform for them a few times before then, finding Ciri to be the most enthusiastic crowd member. 

When he finally made it back to the apartment later, he found Geralt sitting on the couch with Roach laying at his feet. Nothing was on the TV, however, so Jaskier walked in and sat down to see if everything was okay.

“Ciri enjoyed it there,” he said after a few minutes of silence. “Was already begging Yen to go back sometime.”

He smiled. “I’m glad she had fun.”

“When we were on the boardwalk,” he said suddenly, changing the topic, “you know – you didn’t have to buy that stuffed animal for Ciri.”

“I wanted to,” he said, furrowing his brow. “There was no other reason for it.”

“You didn’t do it to – keep up appearances?”

He shook his head. “I don’t need to keep up appearances with Ciri. She’s like – family to me. A niece, or perhaps a younger cousin.”

“But you have to keep it up with me.”

“Well – you offered to be my fake date, remember? Because I had been lying to my parents?”

“What if – what if we don’t tell them we broke up?”

“Geralt, I don’t understand what you’re trying to say.”

He ran a hand down his face and groaned. “You know what, forget it.”

“Wait!” Jaskier grabbed his hand and Geralt froze, staring at it. Wearily, he sat back down, eyes locked on their joined hands. “What is it you’re trying to tell me, Geralt?”

“What if – what if I told you I liked pretending to be your boyfriend? What if I told you I woke up that Sunday to you snuggled against me and – and fell back asleep, because I didn’t want to disturb you, and I actually kind of liked it. What if I told you that the guys have been making fun of me for _months_ saying I had a little schoolboy crush on my roommate?”

Jaskier didn’t say anything at first, just stared into his eyes as his heart rate increased with each word Geralt said. Slowly, ever so slowly, he leaned in, seconds stretching out to the length of minutes as his hand caressed Geralt’s cheek and led his head down to join their lips together. His eyes fluttered shut as they kissed, lips brushing against each other in what felt like the perfect dream. But, as Jaskier can assure, it was very much real. He pulled away only seconds later, but the weight of that kiss made it feel like they had been connected for hours, panting lightly as his tongue ghosted over his lips.

Geralt gently grabbed the back of his neck and pressed their foreheads together, having a similar reaction.

“I’d say you weren’t the only one who felt that way,” Jaskier said with a smile, answering his questions.

Geralt smiled too – a real, full smile, like the first time he had talked about Ciri when they met in that park, a desperate man looking for a place to room and a foolish one who didn’t quite understand the meaning of life. Without saying anything, he leaned back in and pressed their lips back together with more determination. It wasn’t anything overtly special, sitting on their futon and kissing each other, but to Jaskier, that moment was worth more than anything he had ever owned.

**Author's Note:**

> A friend suggested I turn this au into a series, writing about different misadventures with this crew. If you would like to see that, let me know! Maybe drop me an [ask on tumblr](https://pearlll09.tumblr.com/ask) with prompts or ideas I could use!


End file.
